Abstract
The dry land forest of Ethiopia possesses diverse tree species that are known for their ecological and economic values. Despite growing recognition of environmental and economic benefits of these species, the woodland harbouring these species is degrading. Adequate knowledge on the resource base including the current status of its population is crucial for sustainable management of the forest resource. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the diversity and composition of woody species in Kara dry lands forest. A total of 90 quadrants were established along transect lines. A 400 m<sup>2</sup> quadrants was used, distance between quadrants and transecting lines were 200 m and 500 m respectively. Species diversity and evenness, density, frequency, important value and regeneration status were assessed. This study reveals total of 48 woody species representing 23 families and 31 genera’s were found. Out of that, 13 woody species were identified as gum and resin bearing species. The genus of Commiphora and Acacia species were found to be the dominant gum and resin bearing species at the study area. Diversity of the entire woody species assemblage and of the gum- and resin-bearing species was H= 3.47 and H= 2.3 respectively. The evenness values of entire and gum and resin producing woody species were 0.67 and 0.77 respectively. The gum and resin producing woody species accounted for 44.56% of the density, 49.87% of the basal area and 45.49% of the Importance Value Index. However, we recorded the declining natural regeneration of most gum- and resin-bearing woody species except for a small number of species, which exhibited signs of healthy populations. Generally, the results of the present study highlighted the absence of conservation actions that will probably be subject to a progressive decline of gum and resin bearing species because of uncontrolled grazing, charcoal production and shifting cultivation. Therefore, proper management plan and domestication of the species through artificial regeneration and area closure are urgently needed.
Highlights
Ethiopia is endowed with extensive vegetation cover in dry land areas
These dry forests are under increasing anthropogenic and natural pressures [8,9,10,11], argued that there is a massive transformation of forestland into farmlands in the Combretum-Terminalia woodland belt, ignoring the various socio-economic and ecological benefits that can be obtained through sustainable management and conservation of the forest vegetation
The growing pressure on dry forest resources is partly due to inadequate information on the regeneration status of high value tree species, especially those produce commercial gum and resins at national scale is among problems hindering strategic consideration of dry forests [1]
Summary
Ethiopia is endowed with extensive vegetation cover in dry land areas. Acacia-Commiphora and Combretum-Terminalia woodlands are the most dominant vegetation types that cover large parts of the dry land areas in Ethiopia [1]. The dry woodlands of Ethiopia cover about 3.5 million hectares of land These forest resources harbor diverse woody species which produce commercial gums and resins [1, 2]. Despite the growing recognition of the ecological and American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry 2019; 7(6): 282-289 socioeconomic significance of the dry land forest in Ethiopia, few policies and practices try to address issues related to these versatile resources when planning development of dry lands [4, 5, 7] As a result, these dry forests are under increasing anthropogenic and natural pressures [8,9,10,11], argued that there is a massive transformation of forestland into farmlands in the Combretum-Terminalia woodland belt, ignoring the various socio-economic and ecological benefits that can be obtained through sustainable management and conservation of the forest vegetation. The objective of this study was to provide empirical information on the diversity and composition of woody species in Kara forest and thereby to contribute to the ongoing efforts to better integrate these resources in livelihood development and ecosystem management in these dry woodlands
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
